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Numb (2007)

In the director's commentary, Harris Goldberg says that people have responded to this movie for three reasons: 1)The Love Story. 2)The Actors' performances and/or 3)For the depiction of Depersonalization. There are a core group of people who identify with the story and are glad to see depersonalization depicted on film. As Goldberg states, it tends to help people to see this movie and realize, "Oh, I'm not the only one."

Matthew Perry performs admirably as Hudson Milbank. Hudson still knows what is real and what is not real although the whole shebang doesn't FEEL real to him anymore. He can live "as if" he is fine and in many cases people may not realize there is anything wrong with him. If anything appears odd about him it is that he seems overly anxious, overly spacey, and that he tends to tell store clerks that life feels unreal. He seems intent on figuring out what is going on with him and to find someone who knows what he is talking about. Anybody who has experienced depersonalization knows what this is like. I think Matthew Perry, as well as writer/director Harris Goldberg, were correct in playing less is more for most of this. There are also specific things in this portrayal which were particular and familiar, such as Hudson counting the number of days he'd lived and how many he was likely yet to live.

This is the first movie I recall seeing where the main character has depersonalization disorder. (this is amazing considering how many other conditions have been explored on film through the years.) I wonder if the world and others are catching up with the depersonalization experience and/or it is becoming more common and/or understood. Or perhaps it is simply that more people are now using the diagnostic name. Writers have written about unreality and the dream-like experience of life for ages, as have meditators and mystics...(see also all the movies about dreams, dream-like realities, life-being-like-a-dream) So is depersonalization a disorder, or a major factor of being human?

I think people who want a cute Matthew Perry movie that is funny and sweet may not get entirely what they expect. "Numb" could have been marketed more like another truthful and funny (as in the humor that comes from pain and from daily and mundane life as well) movie -The Savages.

In sound-bites Numb sounds like a movie about a man trying to get well in order to "win the girl" in a kind of mad dash through psychiatry-Well, it is more complicated than that, and for one thing it seems more about a man who is trying to get well so he can feel alive and experience his life. Being in love is a big part of that, but you can't feel anything when you are depersonalized, even when it is right in front of you.

Although you may not think it would be, this is a hopeful film.

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** A couple asides: there are two other books about dissociation in addition to "Feeling Unreal" -called "The Myth of Sanity" and "The Stranger in the Mirror" There may be more, but these are others I've found.

**To clarify something other reviewers mentioned, in the movie Hudson states he had a predisposition to depersonalization before he smoked marijuana, although marijuana, as well as some of the medications and antipsychotics he is prescribed later in the movie don't seem to help and/or exacerbate his sense of unreality.

**The interactions between Hudson and his parents are extraordinary. Well-written, spot on.

There are movies that, in time, garner a cult following, for reasons most people can't fathom, or don't care too. This is likely to happen with Harris Goldberg's "Numb." The scant reviews emerging from the Tribeca Film Festival thus far have pointed out that the script is pretty much autobiographical, based on Harris Goldberg's own experience with something called Depersonalization, triggered by pot. Sounds like a pretty extreme and rare reaction to weed, and a pretty weak premise on which to base an entire movie, right? No. Just the opposite. Depersonalization Disorder is something quite real, and a condition that, incredibly, affects more people than either schizophrenia or bi-polar disorders. Yet few people, even relatively few health professionals have ever heard of it. It can be triggered by various forms of stress or trauma, as well as things like LSD and marijuana. The confusion, frustration and inability to deal with "normal" life that often marks DPD is portrayed beautifully by Matthew Perry, whose eyes, at times reveal the void left behind by a soul that has simply disappeared. Lack of affect, "numbness" is just one of many symptoms of depersonalization, but it is likely the one most movie viewers can relate to, and perhaps, the simplest to portray. In this sense, Harris Goldberg has wisely avoided extensive diving into the fearfully negative and hopeless waters of DPD. Instead, he gives us important glimpses into the overall angst of the condition as well as the sufferer's desperate efforts to resume a "normal" life. And he manages to do this within a comedic context. DPD is NOT depression, you see, nor is it humorless. People with the condition are often highly intelligent, and more often than not, they can exhibit extreme insight and a biting wit, simply because their ego, or lack thereof, never stands in the way.

Ultimately, this film marks the very first mention of Depersonalization Disorder on the big screen. It is the first depiction of someone who has it. On top of it, Goldberg has generously shown Perry reading the only authoritative book on the condition "Feeling Unreal" right in the middle of the film. Creating this film, which is funny and highly entertaining by any standard, marks a singular act of courage on the part of the writer/director. According to Hollywood: Everyone knows that pot is always harmless, right? Wrong. According to the medical profession: Depersonalization is just a symptom of some other condition, right. Wrong again. Goldberg has, if nothing else, boldly stated these truths by tickling the funny bone rather than the temporal lobe. Literally millions of people already know these truths, and therein lies the film's audience, for a long long time.

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First of all, this isn't really a romantic comedy.

You might be thinking that a movie starring Matthew Perry with a personality disorder would be a funny ha-ha movie in the vein of "Friends", but you need to know that this movie is more a dramedy, with a darker type of humor.

Perry's character Hudson Milbank suffers from Depersonalization Disorder (DPD), which is a real dissociative disorder in which affected people feel disconnected from their bodies, and have difficulty relating to reality.

Brought on by overenthusiastic smoking of the funny cigarettes, Milbank's life goes into a downward spiral, and his doctor recommends psychiatric treatment. He meets a girl named Sara (Lynn Collins) who seems drawn to guys with problems, and she becomes a beacon in his disassociated life. The thing is, can he keep her?

The funniest moments occur during the sessions with the Psychiatrists, each with a unique method for curing his problem. In particular, look for Mary Steenburgen, in a small, but entertaining turn as Dr. Blaine.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)

1. Matthew Perry thinks he's going crazy

2. Maybe he is

Rated: 3.5 stars

Amanda Richards, April 20, 2008

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Synopsis: The '08 release `Numb' stars Matthew Perry in the role of Hudson Milbank a anxiety ridden loner suffering from depersonalization disorder. Despite his own efforts to sabotage every opportunity to have a meaningful relationship he nevertheless finds himself dating Sarah, a beautiful, successful and obviously love struck young woman who pursues him in spite of all his psychological shortcomings. Will Hudson continue to be his own worst enemy and find himself alone once again or will he finally pull himself together and find the happiness that has eluded him all his life?

Critique: This is a rather low budget film you've probably never heard of. You probably wouldn't consider renting this one either except for the fact that is stars the talented Matthew Perry. At least that's what attracted me to this film. I have to say I was rather pleasantly surprised and would like to say, "Thanks Matthew". `Numb' is definitely a dark comedy with a kick. It's kind of like watching a Woody Allen film without the New York accent and the Jewish affiliation. If you're familiar with Woody's body of work you know exactly what I'm talking about. You might say it's "Angst for Anglos" (is that politically incorrect?).

If you're a Matthew Perry fan you're sure to enjoy it and fan or not you'll definitely fall in love with Lynn Collins in the role of Sarah.

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This is Matthew Perry's best movie. It shows him being a mental case that painfully goes through life looking for cures to his illness. Along the way he meets a few girls and always has his wingman but his constant struggle with his own reality is what compells this movie into greatness. It's a rare view for the movie junkie to see. It kind of does for Matthew Perry what "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" did for Jim Carrey. As much as I liked the Carrey movie, at times it was very confusing. This flick however stays with you the whole way , with laughs and new discoveries along the way. A must see for the true critic.

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The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

I appear to be in the minority, but I couldn't stop laughing during this movie so I have to defend it against the other reviewers. I went to see it at the theater, and it reminded me a lot of "There's Something About Mary". Of course Ben Stiller's character is a heel, that's the whole point of the movie. He marries a girl that he barely knows, realizes that she's not the person he thought she was (she's very disturbed, in a Farrelly Brothers sort of way) , meets a normal (and I might add very hot) girl while on his honeymoon, and falls in love with her. Just by knowing that plot, that Ben Stiller is in it, and that the Farrelly Brothers directed it, you've really gotta see this movie for what it is. It's not Shakespeare. It's just a very funny, very ADULT summer comedy.

Very funny movie. Saw it on cable and had to buy it. Never was a big fan of Stiller, but he did a good job with this movie.

Plot is pretty simple. He has no gf/wife, finds random girl marry's her on a whim, then while on his honeymoon, meets another girl, breaks up with his wife, girl finds out he's married and leaves to marry some random guy, stiller shows up in that girls bedroom with her husband sleeping next to him, she tells him off and he leaves for mexico, 13 months later... girl shows back up in mexico to tell stiller she loves him and she divorced her husband for him, she leaves for a fam event... and he had remarried during the 13 months to Eva Longoria and then wants to divorce her...

Friggen plots... Actually this movie has 2 good sex scenes in it and shows some big boobed girls bobbing up and down in the water as she's in a hot tub with stillers real dad Ben.

I paid a buck for it and it's def worth checking out.

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I very rarely rent comedies, but I'm a fan of Ben Stiller. I like the neurotic comedy thing so Ben does it for me. This movie started off kind of dumb and boring and I was like, "uh oh....another waste". Finally the story got interesting when he met the psycho girlfriend. I was totally impressed with her performance (Mila Akerman?). She reminds me of Cameron Diaz. But if Cameron Diaz played the part of the girlfriend, I know I wouldn't have liked this movie, she's too over the top and self-aware and a crap actress. What I loved about this movie is the unraveling of how much of a loser she turns out to be. I enjoyed watching Ben Stiller have to deal with her and slowly start to realize what he had got himself into. I was like, "ha ha, you ended up with a looneybird". If you have issues with men, you actually get enjoyment out of seeing him all dissapointed and screwed over. There are some dull moments, it's not a perfect comedy, but overall, "Hearbreak Kid" had me laughing out loud in the genuine giddy way near tears. It's extremely rare for me to laugh, I'm sort of jaded like everybody these days. I think Ben Stiller is fantastic, and I loved Mila's performance, she made the movie for me. This is now one of my favourite comedies and worth owning, it deserves more praise than what it's getting!

Read Best Reviews of The Heartbreak Kid (2007) Here

This movie did quite bad at the box office compared to comedies like Superbad or Knocked up. I really don't know why, maybe people were shocked of the crude / sexual humor? Maybe they thought it was a teenager romantic comedy?

I liked it a lot, laughed most of the movie as Ben Stiller is at his best as the unlucky guy gettings in stupid situations.

Picture quality : 4.5/5

Image detail is very consistent during the movie, the hotel / scenery shots are very vivid, and clothing detail is very strong. Screen depth is present at times, but there are lots of close ups so it's not that important.

Audio quality : 4/5

Usual life sounds are well reproduced and carry the movie so that you're welcome into it easily.

Special features : 3.5/5

Deleted scenes, gag reel, some featurettes : fun atmosphere in these features.

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This is a good Ben Stiller movie with several shocking parts and lots of laughs. Malin Akerman is one of the hottest actresses around yet this movie almost ruined it for me, not for bad acting but the character she plays is psycho. All in all good entertaining movie and addition to comedy collection.

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Two Can Play That Game (2001)

Two Can Play At That Game is a very interesting movie. Whoever says this movie isn't funny hasn't been in a relationship before. Point Blank. Through each characters strategic tactics I see myself. I say holdup hold up ...I ve done that before. Anthony Anderson basically makes this movie though. This man is too funny. He emphasizes the important words in the sentence to get his point across and his voice makes it hilarious. This is his best acting performance. Vivica Fox gives women a few unnecessary pointers ( from a man's perspective at least ) but she does keep it real. Morris Chestnut does excellent as well. The movie is fast paced as Vivica Fox and Anderson each play their cards at the situation they are given. They play it like a chess game and the `rules' are funny at times. The girlfriends (Tamala Jones, Wendy Racquel Robinson and MoNique )really act like real friends and they have good chemistry together. The movie wasn't too long and didn't bore me to death as most love stories do.

When I first saw it I couldn't really understand why Morris Chestnut was moping around. `I'm not gonna call, I already called twice, can't be desperate" lol. I was like man if you don't quit b!tchin...But then I remembered that Vivica Fox is finer than a mutha. I'm surprised he didn't cry. Shante takes him through a grueling three day process where she hardly even speaks to him and breaks up with him. The only useless day was day six. There was no purpose for it. The funniest part is at the end when she expects him to be at her house waiting on her with flowers. I could have told her beyotch please that aint gonna happen. And then when he didn't show it was just hilarious. I was like "ahhh that shhh didn't work" and then five seconds later she's like "I know what ya thinking...the shhh didn't work" By then I was on the flo rolling. It was so funny.

The good thing about this movie is that actors really seemed like they enjoyed playing the roles. The movie is fast, fun, lighthearted, and entertaining. A nice classic chill out movie. The narrating didn't bother me at all. I recommend seeing this film.

This is perhaps the best romantic comedy I've ever seen. Vivica's character catches her man out on the dance floor when he said he'd be working late. He explains but she's determined to keep him in line by punishing him. It's hilariously funny and very romantic. A must see!

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I was reluctant to go plop down money to see this movie, having heard that is was exactly like the numerous African American movies that have hit theaters over the past several years. After all too much of a good thing can be a turn off. However, after deciding that it was easier to just go see it instead of continuing to wonder about it, I took in a Sunday matinee.

For the duration of the film, I was grinning, shaking my head, and sometimes ever laughing out loud. Vivica Fox has never been a favorite of mine but I have to give it to her: she played the role of Chante extremely well. The supporting cast (the main reason I finally went to see it) were outstanding as well.

Doug McHenry has made a career out of producing and directing witty, entertaining films. Great job once again.

Read Best Reviews of Two Can Play That Game (2001) Here

The acting in this movie was great. Vivica A. Fox plays Shante, a woman who catches her boyfriend Keith (Morris Chestnut) cheating with her rival Conny (Gabrielle Union). This movie is funny and the stars do great jobs, especcially Union. If you liked "How To Be A Player", "The Brothers", "The Wood", and movies like that you will love this.

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Miss Vivica Played the part in this movie. She was professional and very to the point. Everyone who played in this movie did a very good job. This is real live rather you believe it or not . This is how a lot of people play games but she did it with class. Mark Brown selected a good cast for this movie. I recommend it highly .

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Up in the Air (2009)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) As someone who has both laid off staff and a year later, became the victim of a layoff after twelve years with the same company, I had a personal interest in seeing how director/co-screenwriter Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno) was going to adapt Walter Kirn's smart, unsettling 2001 novel. Even though eight years have elapsed since the book's publication, the filmmaker along with co-writer Sheldon Turner manages to deepen Kirn's themes in this wry, emotionally resonant 2009 dramedy and make them even more relevant with the pervasive downsizing of corporate America. The movie also manages to surprise even when certain plot turns seem evident before they occur. Initially, there is a veneer of cynicism that makes you think the story will be an abject lesson in the impermanence of life, but instead, it evolves into one man's journey into the heart of the emotional turbulence he had been careful to avoid. Toward that end, Reitman seems to be inspired by Alexander Payne's equally perceptive road movies, About Schmidt and Sideways, films that reflect a similar storytelling style.

The plot focuses on laser-sharp corporate layoff consultant Ryan Bingham, a man who regales in the impermanence of life by traveling 322 days on the road, informing targeted employees that they are about to lose their jobs. There is a necessary callousness in his approach, but he knows it's necessary to be present and honest when it comes to conveying the unpleasant news. Bingham is also a motivational speaker who espouses unburdening one's life of possessions and fitting everything essential within the confines of a backpack. Proving his case, he lives in hotels, airplanes, and airport terminals with his one life goal being the seventh person to collect ten million frequent-flier miles. If you can get past the Spartan one-bedroom apartment he keeps in Omaha for the 43 days he is forced to be at home, the hatchet man appears to lead a charmed if rather solitary life. Complications, however, ensue on both personal and professional fronts.

Bingham meets a fellow transient traveler named Alex Goran in an airport lounge and assesses that he may have found his soul-mate, so much so that he invites her to come to his estranged sister's wedding in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Bingham's boss wants to introduce a new strategy proposed by a fresh-faced, post-grad school upstart. New hire Natalie Keener suggests using remote teleconferencing to perform the layoff notifications. Since the new technology is the antithesis of Bingham's one-on-one method, he brings Natalie along on the road to show her how it can't possibly work. In a role that feels custom-tailored to all his strengths, George Clooney plays Bingham with an emotional precision that complements his charismatic persona which pivots between swaggering and self-effacing. On one hand, it's his most definitive movie-star role, and yet Clooney has never revealed as much about himself onscreen.

The always watchable Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Down to the Bone) is sexy and confident as the woman who seems perfect for Bingham, even though their adroit compatibility could not possibly sustain an actual commitment. Their interplay is fun to watch because there is a Cary Grant-Rosalind Russell-level rapport that keeps both on their toes. Anna Kendrick (Twilight) is winning as Natalie even if her character's naiveté feels a bit manufactured at times. Jason Bateman has a field day playing Bingham's smarmy boss, while Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, and Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) plays their accustomed types with aplomb as members of Bingham's immediate family. In cameos, J.K. Simmons (Juno) and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) sharply play two of the victimized employees, but for the rest, Reitman uses non-actors replaying their recent experiences of getting laid off. As usual with Reitman's films, it boasts an eclectic soundtrack that works really well with the storyline.

Hard to understand how a movie that manages to make you feel down in the dumps in many instances can have you laughing out loud the rest of the way. Perhaps because UP IN THE AIR is a movie so very full of surprises and complete knowledge of its main subject (I swear the next time I go through security in an airport I'll be looking for the oriental businessmen and avoid babies at all costs).

All throughout the movie I was expecting the obvious conclusion (the firer being fired) and was surprised to get something completely different in return, but even UP IN THE AIR's schocker scene, managed to make so much sense it's hard for me to understand how I didn't see it coming.

There's no question in my mind UP IN THE AIR will be the movie future generations will look back in trying to understand this particular era we live in. It is quiet simply a classic.

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This hybrid comedy-drama-romance is a rare treat that honestly addresses job loss, love and relationships without resorting to common cliches or contrived situations. George Clooney and co-star Vera Farmiga are reminiscent of Cary Grant and Deobrah Kerr in An Affair To Remember.

Vera Farmiga is the strong, female co-star Clooney has long needed. She is beautiful, sophisticated and restrained, similar in many aspects to Brigit Bardot and Sophia Loren. She is Ukrainian but was raised in America. However, she did not speak English as a child which probably explains her elegant restraint when speaking English. Men will truly enjoy the brief but wonderful scene of Farmiga naked in Clooney's motel room. Wow, what a hot body.

Clooney is superb as a confident, insensitive but charming employee terminator during the economic collapse of 2008. Clooney works for a corporate consulting company based in Omaha, Nebraska that performs the dirty work for spineless business owners. It is a thriving business during the 2007-2009 recession. This movie was released during late 2009.

Clooney as Ryan Bingham boasts that during the previous year he spent 322 days on the road, flying from city to city in pursuit of victims. But, one day while sitting a hotel bar, he initiates a conversation with Vera Farmiga playing Alex Goran, a fellow road-warrior and corporate shark, equally consumed by frequent flyer perks and privileges. They end up in bed but the traditional, cliche love story never evolves.

The script is superb as is Farmiga who previously appeared in The Departed by Martin Scorsese and the 2004 remake of the Manchurian Candidate. Obviously, she is not an obscure actress but this role was meant for her. She plays her character with incredible charm, grace and sexual vitality telling Clooney "Just think of me as yourself with a vagina." Although captivated by Clooney's charm and appearance, Alex always remains his alter-ego much to his dismay.

In the end, Clooney is consumed by a life free from personal responsiblity and the daily toil of earth-bound inhabitants as he pursues his goal of becoming the seventh person in the world to achieve 10-million frequent flyer miles. I don't know if American Airlines paid a fee to partially sponsor this film but it is a long-form commercial for American Airlines elite frequent flyer awards program which bestows unique privileges to a select group of travellers.

The screenplay by Sheldon Turner and director Jason Reitman was adapted from the 2001 novel by Walter Kirn. It should be studied by screenwriting students at cinema schools because it is a rare example of honestly addressing difficult issues such as job loss and life without love. And, Jason Reitman should be applauded for honestly presenting the devestating effects of economic collapse while simultaneously entertaining us. It is both rare and rewarding to see documentary film seamlessly interwoven in a fictional story. Instead of resorting to token cliches, Reitman gives us real victims expressing their rage and anguish after losing long-time jobs.

This film is a tribute to great writing, acting, directing and producing. It successfully embraces comedy and tragedy and is truly enjoyable to watch.

Read Best Reviews of Up in the Air (2009) Here

After a while, it gets pretty tiring to have nearly every Hollywood movie either overtly or subtly suggest that real happiness lies in marriage and family. I love this movie because it asks us to consider that happiness is personal, not cookie-cutter. The protagonist loves his life of traveling and the lack of ties that go along with it. Some might see this as melancholy, and at times it is portrayed that way in the movie, but overall, it's clear that what most people want is not what the protagonist wants. I love the realistic, insightful way that this different outlook on life is presented in this movie.

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Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) has carved out a life of weightlessness (almost). He's an executive for an out-placement firm that is engaged when a company needs to get rid of large swatches of their employees. He's pared down his existence to a single carry-on; so much so that he's beginning to carve out a side career teaching others how to shed their possessions, their obligations, even their relationships and loved ones.

He lacks one of the key elements of what it is to be human. He's almost estranged from his family, he has no wife, no kids, no pets, not even a houseplant. He does have a good business relationship with his boss, his assistant, and that's pretty much it. He is so detached that he doesn't even notice anything is missing. But, things will soon happen that shake up his world.

On first viewing, I admired the acting (especially Clooney), the set design, the lighting, the cinematography, and the sound. The story itself was clever, but the movie watcher really knew what was going to happen. Bingham was going to experience something (or someone) that would make him realize that his goal of being the seventh person to achieve the coveted 10 million mile status (the youngest to get there) paled in comparison to his startling lack of human involvement. The movie was extremely well directed (by Jason Reitman) and well achieved, but curiously non-involving. It's good, but it's not a film that will be taken down from the DVD shelf very often.

It's only after watching the commentary with director Reitman that I really appreciated the craft of the movie. This commentary is why DVD special features were invented. Playing the movie with the commentary on added a whole other dimension to the film. Reitman grew up on Hollywood, his dad produced the film (Ivan Reitman), and he has many, many stories to tell about the making of the film. So many, in fact, that he hardly ever stops talking. There are two other members of the crew on the commentary, but you seldom hear from them. Reitman just won't let them get a word in. He's good and very entertaining to listen to, but why even have the other guys there? And yet, he is entertaining as hell. What a great dinner companion he would be. Once he got going, you'd just sit back and listen.

I do have to also comment on the film's 'fired folks'. Some of them are actors, but most of them are non-actors who were asked by Reitman to appear on camera and sort of relive their own firings. These non-actors were very, very good, and certainly lent an air of authenticity to the film. A stroke of brilliance to include these people.

Three and a half stars for 'Up in the Air'. Four-and-a-half for the DVD extras (there's also an interesting interview with the company that did the opening shot, and other aerials in the film).

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Smiles of a Summer Night (The Criterion Collection) (1955)

This was director Ingmar Bergman's break-through film, the winner of the 1956 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the first of his many internationally acclaimed films. The story is a time honored one, referrencing the same tradition of romantic complications found in Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Rostand's LA RONDE: every one is either in love with or married to the wrong person.

A famous actress with two very different lovers invites both, their wives, and the son of one lover to her mother's country estate in the hope of sorting out the romantic entanglements to her satisfaction--and the result is considerable charm and unexpectedly dry wit. All the performances are excellent, with Eva Dahlbeck's Desiree a standout, but the real star of this ensemble piece is the unexpectedly witty script. Never quite veering over into broad farce but never sinking into romantic sentimentality, it is a very precisely written tale, and both cast and director make the most of it.

In the face of Bergman's later work, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT may seem rather slight, and indeed both psychology and cinematography is considerably less complex than one expects. Even so, it is very much a Bergman film: the visual style is distinct, and the themes of appearances vs. reality, the inability to correctly interpret another's behavior, and the failure to understand one's self are very much in evidence--only here to comic effect. It is in every way a charming film that Bergman fans will enjoy.

Incidently, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT was successfully translated to the stage as the musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, the score of which includes the famous "Send In The Clowns." Fans of the original film will be interested to compare the two works.

Fredrick Egerman (Gunnar Bjornstrand) is a forty-something lawyer of precise calculation, a bit of a dandy among the mercantile. He has a young wife Anne (the very pretty Ulla Jacobsson) whom he married when she was sixteen, but somehow never got around to unintacting her virgo. He has a sometime mistress Desirée Armfeldt (the voluptuous Eva Dahlbeck) from whom he has recently been estranged. He has a son Henrik (Bjorn Bjelvenstam) full of angst and love's confusion who lusts after the saucy maid Petra (a blonde Harriet Andersson) while he studies theology and his father's wife.

The night for Fredrick and Anne (after a Platonic nap during which Fredrick inadvertently pronounces Desirée's name) begins with the theater; and who should be starring in the production but Desirée. Anne suddenly takes ill and they rush home. Fredrick now steals away to see Desirée. After a pratfall in some water he ends up in some night clothes that belong to Desirée's current lover, the militaristic Count Malcolm (Jarl Kulle as a sprung-steel bantam) who, as it happens, arrives upon the scene much to the merriment of Desirée and to the embarrassment of Fredrick.

The culmination of love's labors and intrigues takes place at the chateau of Desirée's mother, Mrs. Armfeldt (Naima Wifstrand). The action includes a most amusing duel, some hanky-panky atop a haystack, musical beds, an attempted suicide, some Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (if I caught the label right), the amorous kiss of young lovers, the triumph of the fairer sex, and the very proper lawyer's final humiliation.

If you haven't seen Smiles of a Summer Night you are in for a rare treat: a comedy by Ingmar Bergman. And it is no ordinary comedy. Shakespearean and Oscar Wilde-like in its sharp, satirical (and oh so worldly wise) dialogue, this playful romp with the Swedish landed gentry and servants of a hundred years ago is a delight that will satisfy the most sophisticated viewer as well as the most middlebrow.

Owing something to the French farcical tradition (in particular Molière), to light opera (maybe Mozart), and even the Greek theater, Bergman's romantic comedy sparkles with love's intrigues and pratfalls. According to Pauline Kael, whose review is part of a 24-page booklet that comes with the Criterion Collection DVD, Bergman had just finished directing a stage production of The Merry Widow which accounts in part for the fin-de-siècle setting and the genteel treatment that he finally settled upon for his comedy of manners. Also I think this examination and satire of the class structure with hilarious asides on the foibles of human nature owes something to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest which was set in approximately the same time period and had a similar cast of characters including a Grand Dame, an ingenue, some rustics, a clergyman, but most directly in the fact that both Wilde and Bergman aim their sardonic wit directly at the burghers and the bourgeois. Bohemians need not apply. Indeed the closest thing to a Bohemian in the play is the actress Desirée who is the very calculating and dominate personage of the film.

By the way, Bergman's future protege, Bibi Andersson, does appear in this movie, but only for a moment as an actress on stage at the theater.

The final, cynical bemusement comes as one reconsiders who ends up with whom. Not to spoil the plot, but notice that in every case there is something less than perfect in each romantic partnership, something slightly amiss that may cause problems down the road, something unsettled that suggests that nothing has really changed. As the French say, the more things change, the more they remain the same. It is this ironic underpinning to this delightful comedy that lends to it something of the timeless. Bergman is good at that.

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I came to Ingmar Bergman films in the mid-sixties, as a teen, and liked them because they seemed so stark, so unlike the typical Hollywood fluff. They called 'em art films, but I liked Bergman because of the characters and the stories, not to mention the look and feel of his films. It was only when Criterion Collection released SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT this year that I finally got to see a film I had heard a lot about but never bothered to seek out. Criterion's other Bergman films were all must-haves so I ordered Smiles right away. (I have seen Sondheim's A Little Night Music on stage some three times and saw the film, so I suppose this Bergman source film seemed less unknown than his others. And, by the way, after seeing Smiles, I appreciate even more how nicely Sondheim et al adapted this film.) True to Criterion's high standards and TLC in presenting its films, Smiles looks as good as it must have when it was released almost fifty years ago. This light comedy involves several pairs of lovers who, for a variety of reasons, might be better off if the deck were shuffled and they ended up in another pairing. Aging actress, married lover; aging lawyer, too-young virgin wife; tortured soul son of lawyer, saucy maid temptress, and lawyer's too-young virgin wife; wife of military man who knows husband has mistresses, including the aging actress. Shuffle the deck a few times and a lot can happen in a movie with characters such as these. Sondheim wrote the entire score to A Little Night Music in waltz tempo, which perfectly captures the whirling intricacies of the relationships. Bergman started it all with a very entertaining and perfectly cast film, full of both comedy and the human dimension of mismatched people who may be investing too much energy in the wrong person. It all sounds confusing, but, trust me, you'll enjoy the heck out of this picture. If you think Bergman is just The Silence, Cries and Whispers and Winter Light, you're in for a real treat with SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT.

Read Best Reviews of Smiles of a Summer Night (The Criterion Collection) (1955) Here

Bergman's first major film, and the only comedy he ever made. This will blow your socks off (especially if you only know Bergman's later works).

It's a romp, a meditation on the unpredictability of life and emotions, a tribute both to perseverance and to capriciousness. The performances are flawless: engaging, complex, simultaneously light and profound.

It will make you wish Bergman had made more comedies: I've never seen another comedy that accomplishes this level of depth and vivacity, with pits of despair danced over, landing in a glorious, life-affirming ending.

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Ingmar Bergman directed a romantic comedy when he filmed Smiles of a Summer Night that is as playful as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream and is set in a small scale backdrop of Renoir's Rules of the Game (1939). Despite the similarities of other stories Bergman creates a unique comedy that is full of conspiring intrigue as it revolves around a small number of characters at the turn of the century in a small Swedish town.

Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand), a successful middle-aged lawyer and former widower, has remarried with Anne (Ulla Jacobsson) who is at least twenty years younger than him. Fredrik's son, Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam), from his previous marriage, is of the same age as Anne and has recently arrived home from completing his theological examinations. Petra, the family maid, flirts with Henrik as he expresses his liking for the opposite sex. As a consequence, Henrik is struggling with an overwhelming inner guilt originating from his incapability to live by his lofty values stemming from his Christian faith. In addition, the prominent actress Desiree Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck), a previous lover to Fredrik, is performing at the town theater. Fredrik makes nightly visit to Desiree which puts him in harms way as Desiree's current lover, Carl Magnus (Jarl Kulle), a military officer known for his success in duels visits at the same time. However, this is just the beginning for all the predicaments that Fredrik is about to experience.

Smiles of a Summer Night is a well-written comedy with several subplots that drive the main theme, love, forward as it displays Bergman's wide range of story telling. Bergman displays a simple story which becomes complex as the characters are continually dishonest. It is the profound level of deceitfulness in the story that produces intrigue and brings about the comedy. As the final scene fades away in memory, the audience has gone through a first class cinematic experience that will lighten and enlighten those who participated.

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Down To You (2000)

... and I ended up being pleasantly surprised.

Back when this film was first released, I was forced into seeing it with a female family member. I expected the worst. It had Freddie Prinze, Jr. in it. The commercials for it seemed to imply that it was geared towards the teen set. I really wasn't expecting to like this film. Boy, was I surprised!

This film ended up becoming one of my favorite romantic comedies. The story itself, about the evolving of Alfred and Imogen's relationship, was so well written and unpredictable. It wasn't one of those films where you could predict each plot twist twenty minutes before it happened.

The cast is above par for movies of this genre. Stiles and Prinze do a good job in their lead roles. Selma Blair and the actor who played Alfred's "artsy-fartsy" porn actor friend were also entertaining. Film and TV legend Henry Winkler added a lot of gusto to the film in the supporting role of Alfred's Emeril-esque dad as well.

Guys, if you want a good date movie to watch with your girlfriend that won't leave you squirming, this is the one to get. I highly recommend it!

Down to You didn't last long in the movie theaters, and I was surprised to see it on the shelves at the video stores. The main reason why I saw it was because of Julie Stiles, who I thought was good in 10 Things I Hate About You. I didn't want to see it at first, because I can't stand Freddie Prinze Jr! I thought I'd give it a shot because Julie was in it, and I enjoy watching high school type movies. This wasn't your typical high school movie though. It was more towards the late teens/early twenties crowd. Julie plays Imogen, a Freshman at the local college that's studying to be an Artist. Freddie plays Al, also a student at the college, that wants to be a world famous chef, like his father (played by Henry Winkler). Al's father has his own cooking show on TV (just think Emeril Lagasse). His father has plans for him and Al to have their own father-son show, but Al wants to work his way from the bottom up. The main focus of the movie was concentrated on Imogen and Al's relationship of course. The movie has some great characters in it, like Al's father, his best friend that's in the porn industry, and a wanna be Jim Morrison. I thought the story was good, and the directing as well. I liked how both Al and Imogen were both telling the story. The only part that I didn't like about the movie was when Imogen ruined their relationship by......well not to spoil it for you, but you should watch it. This is a good date movie, and should make your date cry!

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It was set out to be aimed at 13 year old girls but somehow it got a wider audience. Most teen movies take place when the stars are in high school but this taked place when they are in college. This movie shows that not all relationships are fairy tales. The theme is giving first love a second chance and while it does give audiences a dose of reality it does seem to give a little too much information sometimes. Julia Stiles is smart in her career choice because while she does movies aimed at teens her films are somehow more serious but at the same time fun. This film deals with heavy issues but it doesn't let you know that it's getting you to think about certain things like teen pregnancy, drug overdose....and so on and so forth. If you are a fan of Julia Stiles or Freddie Prinze, Jr. then I recommend this movie. It's not your typical run-of-the-mill teen flick. But beware guys, this is a chick flick!

Read Best Reviews of Down To You (2000) Here

This is the perfect romance film to watch as a couple, to remember your first love and reminisce about the good and the bad times. It starts off with Freddie Prinz Jnr (Al) and Julia Stiles (Imogen) narrating between flashbacks.

Julia Stiles is one of the best young actresses of the moment, and her & Freddie Prinz Jnr make a great couple. Selma Blair, Shawn Hatosy and Zak Orth also star, along with a permanently stoned Ashton Kutcher, who apparently looks like Jim Morrison from The Doors.

The scene where Imogen sings/dances to Al is the best, and it shows what the whole film is about despite the fact that Al gets embarrassed as he's a sophomore dating a freshman.

Imogen & Al are very different people and show that opposites can attract. She likes painting and he likes to cook. Al's friends aren't happy that Al & Imogen are practically turning into an old married couple before their eyes, already having a pregnancy scare barely a year into their relationship. You know this relationship is doomed from the start of the film, due to them being different & pressure from their friends.

The narration between the flashback scenes does break the film up, and the first time I watched this film, it really annoyed me, but it also shows the film from Al & Imogen's point of view.

There's a classic line in this, which is Imogen's fear: "One day we'll pass each other on the street and have that artificial conversation".

The ending is great, and the Billie Myers song sums up the whole film.

This film is a must-see for Julia Stiles/Freddie Prinz Jnr fans, or to see as a couple, or to watch alone, simply to reminisce and not get embarrassed when you start crying.

Extras include the theatrical trailer; TV spots; cast & crew interviews; on the set; and Billie Myer's "It All Comes Down To You" music video.

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In my opinion, I have to say that this teen comedy was, well,DIFFERENT than the rest. But I mean that in a very very good way. Why? The story is not the type of teen movie that you can just predict every moment in the story. It was edgier and bubblier than any other High School-type teen comedy. The story takes place in college, which I find more entertaining than an average High School movie. The first half hour of the movie was kind of strange to me.I mean, a roommate that is a porno movie director and a dad who is a famous cook( played by Henry Winkler) is not your usual dialogue in this kind of movie. Which made me love this even more! I am crazy about romantic comedies and this is BY FAR(so far) the best one I have seen. After you get introduced to the Very Different characters, you find that this movie is incredibly well-written and really sweet and entertaining. i also happened to laugh a lot more than a typical teen comedy. Julia Stiles is my fave actress and Freddie is probably one of the most talented, HOTTEST men on this planet(this was the reason, in the first place, why i watched this movie).Even my boyfriend loved it(and believe me, thats pretty amazing). It has a great soundtrack, too. To summarize my opinion: A funny, sexy, romantic,and edgy must-see movie for almost anyone.(i cant stop watching it) If you like Freddie, I also recommend Boys and Girls.

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Big Daddy (1999)

My initial impression based on the trailer was that this would be another crass Sandler flick (Sandler is cool, don't get me wrong), but might have potential. I was surprised It was very good! Adam Sandler adopts a 5-year-old boy to prove to his girlfriend he's ready for the next stage of his life. She dumps him anyway, and Sandler realizes that he doesn't know what he's doing, and so tries to give the kid back. While he's got him, though, they do all sorts of crazy things and have a lot of fun. Rob Schneider provides excellent comic relief, as does Steve Buscemi, who has a cameo in this film. In short, a normally irresponsible man grows up by having to deal with the joys of parenthood. A thumbs-up for heart, and two thumbs up for humor and entertainment! Special features include an HBO First Look which is worthwhile viewing.

The review from "The New Yorker" on this page is probably one of the most pompous and hollow reviews I've ever read. "Big Daddy" is a great movie. I'm a long-time Adam Sandler fan but, put it this way, after seeing this movie, so is my mother. She's usually not into this kind of comedy, but this has become one of her all-time favorite movies. So, saying that "Anyone looking to solve the mystery of Adam Sandler's mass appeal is not going to do it here" seems to be a ridiculous statement.

The movie is funny from "all angles". The story is good, the cast is as solid as I've ever seen in a comedy, etc, etc... Whether or not you're usually into Sandler's brand of comedy, you will most likely appreciate this film. I feel that this is Adam Sandler at his best and it is certainly one of his most successful projects.

Highly recommended.

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This movie is funny. The little boys are cute. In case you didn't know the little boy in the movie is actually twin boys acting the part. I think everyone who likes Adams movies should watch this.

Read Best Reviews of Big Daddy (1999) Here

Sonny Koufax is 32 years old. He's a law school graduate. He's got a nice apartment in Manhattan. There's just one problem. He does nothing, except sit on his butt and live off an investment that was the result of a meager lawsuit he won a year ago. But after his fed up girlfriend leaves him, he comes up with the ingenious idea to adopt a five year old boy to showcase his newfound maturity. But things don't go as planned, and Sonny finds himself the unlikely foster father that will change his perspective on just looking out for himself. This is a great movie and it will make you laugh. I would recommend this to anyone who like to laugh.

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my parents got 5-6 copies of this movie because its my dad and I's favorite. I HAD to get a copy for myself! its my alltime fave! I LOVE adam sandler and the twin boys do a great job!

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Another Year (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

Tom is a geologist, at the start of the film, checking drill core to ensure strong foundations for coming construction. Gerry is a medical counselor, gently attempting to help her clients tend to their lives. Both are gardeners who know that you can have almost anything you want, provided you plant the seeds and take the time to tend and direct their growth. Their reward is shared time together and a bountiful harvest freely shared with others.

Mary, a middle-aged secretary at Gerry's office, knows none of this.

She repeatedly comments on Tom and Gerry's "luck" but is clueless about its source. She has no interest in others beyond finding the perfect man who will love her and even cook for her. She doesn't cook for herself or others (replacing food with alcohol)and besides, it's so much easier to go home to Tom and Gerry's where she is cared for. She even imagines a romantic relationship with their son, half her age, who she used to babysit, and is shattered (and unspeakably rude) when he brings his girlfriend home to meet the parents.

She buys a wreck of a car imagining that it will make her even more free from responsibility (in this case, train schedules) but has no clue how to care for it or even what its needs might be. At a garden party, where she imagines her mechanical difficulties to be the main topic of interest, she completely fails to notice a co-worker's new baby.

Yes, Mary is unlucky, much like the profoundly depressed insomniac woman at the very beginning of the movie -who has only two brief appearances. So why is SHE there? Because in another year or two or three, that will be Mary. She is the harvest.

There are no entertaining shoot outs or car chases here, and the only monsters are real ones. This is a quiet meditation on real life, the foundations and the seeds and patterns of growing and dying that we put in place through our own choices and desires and their consequences. Sadly and beautifully and brilliantly done.

If "Another Year" comes off as unsatisfying, perhaps that's a testament to director Mike Leigh's affinity for depicting real life as it naturally unfolds. The movie doesn't have much of a plot, but it does have a strong sense of character, believable dialogue, and a definite theme, namely that life simply goes on. It's about ordinary people with ordinary problems; they may initially seem otherworldly, but they become more real as the film progresses, and by the end, we feel as if we've known them for years. This isn't to suggest that we automatically like all of them. You can understand a person and still think they're better suited in someone else's company. The film doesn't offer a lot in the way of resolution, but then again, neither does life, so I guess there's no sense in complaining.

Taking place in England, the center of the story is Tom and Gerri (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen), and before you ask, yes, they get the occasional joke about how their names are pared. They're in their autumn years and have been married a long time. They're perfectly content; Tom is an engineering geologist, Gerri is a counselor, and after some years of travelling, the two now enjoy gardening and harvesting vegetables. Their thirty-year-old son, Joe (Oliver Maltman), hasn't yet found a girlfriend but is about as content as his parents. They address each other simply and don't seem to have any issues with one another. We follow them through the course of four seasons as they interact with friends and family, who all seem to suffer from some degree of unhappiness.

The most prominent is Gerri's coworker, Mary (Lesley Manville). At first, she's a comical figure, a woman who can't seem to stop talking and always nurses a glass of wine. With every passing scene, she becomes more and more tragic until we realize that she's a desperately lonely alcoholic in serious need of professional help. She has known Joe since he was ten, and now that he's a man, she finds that she's incredibly attracted to him. He doesn't feel the same way, but he never avoids her; in fact, there are times when he makes it a point to have a conversation with her. And, when he finally does get a girlfriend, he isn't afraid to introduce her to Mary, who, as you can probably guess, is crushed. She realizes that she wasn't ready for her first marriage. She finally fell in love in her thirties, but it was to a man who ultimately divorced her and left her with nothing. At this advanced stage in her life, she just wants someone to talk to.

Mary's life is symbolized by a used car she purchased with what little money she had stashed away. We never see it fall to pieces, but there are a couple of densely worded scenes in which she rants about the mechanical problems, the break-ins, and the financial woes they entail. She's a terrible driver and gets lost quite easily, even on routes she has successfully walked many times. She relies a little too often on take-away food, since she's not much of a cook and hasn't dated anyone who would take that responsibility. She says in an early scene that she's happy to be independent, but the fact is, she wants to be taken care of. Gerri addresses her just as simply as she does her husband; if she considers Mary a friend, then I find it peculiar she didn't make more of an effort to get her help. She is, after all, a counselor.

Other characters are introduced. Some are written out much sooner than we'd expect them to be, begging the question of why they were included in the first place. Consider Tom's friend, Ken (Peter Wight), who's aging, overweight, a smoker, a drinker, and being dragged into retirement kicking and screaming. He realizes, with depressing clarity, that he doesn't want to take the train back home, for there's absolutely nothing there waiting for him. He's attracted to Mary. She most certainly doesn't feel the same way about him. The most curious character is Janet (Imelda Staunton), who appears in exactly two scenes as a clinically depressed insomniac unwilling to partake in Gerri's counseling. When the film was over, I was certain that nothing would have been lost had this character been eliminated.

A more substantial but equally subdued subplot is introduced later in the film, when Tom attends the funeral of his sister-in-law and invites his brother, Ronnie (David Bradley), to stay with him for a couple of days. Ronnie's son, Carl (Martin Savage), is an undependable hothead who I suspect was that way long before the death of his mother. Ronnie and Mary eventually have a conversation, although Mary does most of the talking. Is this her story? It might seem that way, especially since she's the subject of the final shot. Still, I have a feeling that "Another Year" isn't anyone's story in particular. Friends come and go. Families get together and separate. People live, people die seasons change. I grant you that this isn't a particularly fulfilling message. But this is a movie about the mundane, about still frames in people's lives. You see this movie, and then you move on.

Buy Another Year (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010) Now

Life isn't sweet for the characters of Mike Leigh's new film, and it's not happy-go-lucky either.

"Another Year" is, in short, another Leigh film about normal folk living ordinary lives. And yet, of course, it's about so much more.

It's about an allotment for one thing a small parcel of land lovingly tended by geologist Tom (Jim Broadbent) and his medical counsellor wife Gerri (Ruth Sheen).

It's also about a car: a dysfunctional little runaround that Gerri's lonely, wineslugging co-worker Mary (Lesley Manville) buys in the futile expectation it will open up new horizons.

It's about Tom's chum Ken (Peter Wight), a boozy, overweight sadsack. It's also about Tom's older brother Ronnie (David Bradley) and their respective sons: one a wry community lawyer (Oliver Maltman), the other an angry, volatile malcontent (Martin Savage).

Family and friends, children and parents, siblings and colleagues. Split into four parts, each one focused on a different season, Another Year has a formal, Eric Rohmer-esque structure that makes it one of its creator's most ordered works.

Yet the middle-class suburban milieu it shows is anything but, the lottery of humanity having blessed Tom and Gerri with married contentment and saddled the likes of Mary, Ken and Janet (a despondent patient of Gerri's, memorably played by Imelda Staunton) with disappointment and misery. Why do some luck out and others miss out?

You won't find an answer to that conundrum in Year. But you do see what happens when the two collide, Mary's inappropriate crush on Maltman's jovial Joe coming a cropper when he arrives for tea with a perky girlfriend (Karina Fernandez) half her age.

Manville is teriffic here, her pinched mouth and teary eyes conveying the anguish of a woman who's just had her last illusion shattered. Yet so too is Sheen, her benevolent compassion turning steely at the merest hint of her brood being threatened.

Throw in Broadbent's chipper, gently mocking patriarch and you have three of the finest performances ever to grace a Mike Leigh yarn. No mean feat from the man who gave us Naked, Vera Drake and Secrets & Lies.

Meantime, long-term Leigh collaborator, cinematographer Dick Pope, elegantly transports us from spring through to winter with a such graceful fluidity that one easily forgives the film's occasional longueur.

Leigh's take on life's rich tapestry its smiles, its frowns, its ups and downs is second nature to us now. Yet he's still made Another funny, perceptive, moving human drama. Neil Smith

Secrets and Lies

Naked Criterion Collection

Career Girls

Happy-Go-Lucky

All Or Nothing (2002)

Vera Drake

Read Best Reviews of Another Year (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010) Here

If you love character films, "Another Year" is the film for you. Granted, even for a British film, it seemed rather slow for most of the first half but I couldn't stop watching---the characters lured me immediately and persistently.

Lesley Manville plays Mary: a very pretty and exceedingly lonely woman who tries painfully hard to create a life for herself. The depths of her despair but valiant effort to be happy is paralleled by her best friend Gerri, played perfectly by Ruth Sheen. Gerri and Mary have worked together for twenty years. Gerri has always initiated kind and regular invitations to Mary to come to dinner.

Gerri and Tom (played by the brilliant Jim Broadbent) have a mature and loving ease to their marriage of so many years. They are solid realists. Their compassion for their friends and family is equal, their acceptance for a broad range of people in their lives is not only notable but admirable. They have a great heart each and melded together as a couple. Mary has had a tough time of it and it is apparent to the audience that she needs Gerri.

As she and Tom have always invited Mary to dinner for twenty years, Mary has also watched their son grow up---who is now thirty and still single. Mary has a gift for "getting ideas" about things that are not always true. She's a bit naive and therefore foolish---yet generally harmlessly so. Until one night....

Mike Leigh (writer/director) carefully develops---no, allows his characters to evolve---through ordinary, daily living that as each character's desires come more into focus, they also come into conflict with the desires of others. This drives the story to bring these relationships to a troubling climactic point: Mary's loneliness and deluded need to belong is more than awkward when she meets Joe's (played sweetly by Oliver Maltman) serious girlfriend when he surprises his parents by bringing her to dinner one night. While everyone "understands" Mary is quirky, no one foresees how toxic her pain has become. Nor how protective Gerri can be of her family.

Has Mary finally overstepped her bounds? Will Gerri and Tom turn on her afterall? Has she lost her best friend Gerri forever?

Other characters enter the story to fill out these three who are the pivotal characters. The film is tender and haunting. These characters will hold your attention and your heart.

It would seem that popular culture is spinning out of control with hypersensitivity to a frenetic need to be in touch with everyone---fast, furious, superficial hydroplaning relationships. Thank God for Mike Leigh. This film is human, rooted, stable, real in its depiction of how beautiful and calm life can be, and how each of us longs for friends like Gerri and Tom. Some of us even wish we could be them. We still need to slow down, to touch the earth, to touch each other, to linger in the presence of those we love.

It's not a feel-good movie, but it is hopeful and satisfying. The characters are so distinctive and memorable. I hope everyone involved receives the recognition they deserve for this meaningful collaboration.

See the film.

Light at Summer's End: A Novel

Julia's Quest: A Novel

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It is not very often that we have the opportunity to view a film about real people. People with flaws, people who are not movie star handsome, people we know, like our neighbors, our inlaws, our children. Mike Leigh has written and directed this superb film about these people.

Tom, played by Jim Broadbent, and Gerry, played by Ruth Sheen live in North London. They have been married for years, happily married, even. They have a son, Joe, played by oliver Maltman, who loves his parents and seems to be a perfectly normal young man. He is looking for a soulmate and feels the pressure from his parents, at times. Gerry is a therapist. For thirty years she has worked with Mary, superbly played by Lesley Manville, a secretary who has porblems. She wants the perfect man who will never be available, and she drinks too much to get her through her day. She has glammed on to Tom and Gerry. Their home is a warm, inviting place, and they are not judgemental. After a perfectly hideous evening of too much drinking and obvious jealousy of Joe's new girlfriend, Tom says of Mary, "It's Sad" That really says it all. A family funeral portrays a funeral like no other, but does point out the foibles we see in other families, and sometimes our own. All this time, going home to Tom and Gerry's is the best place to be. Tom and Gerry love their friends and family and support them, through thick and thin. We see much of the thin in this film, but that is real life.

Mike Leigh has given us a film where we feel embarrassment, amusement and sadness. This is real life, folks. We all know folks like this and maybe it is us. We are peeking into the lives of people who have foibles and we can learn from their predicaments, and from the manner that Tom and Gerry deal with life and with these folks they welcome into their lives. This is a film that gave me a sense of joy, that good folks like Tom and Gerry abound. Life is not all about the beautiful people making too much money and getting into too much trouble. We are, after all, all too human.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 06-12-11

High Hopes

Happy-Go-Lucky

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Madea's Family Reunion (2006)

Once again, Tyler has put together a grand movie; I went to the first showing of it here in town and the theater was PACKED; not many seats left; yet, it was a great movie; Cicely and Maya giving us lessons; Maya with the wedding poem; The wedding itself;(nothing short of beautiful); the daughters, the men, Joe, Madea; great combination; Like I mentioned on Tyler's site when I commented on the movie; some movies make you think, some leave you with a short feeling, some just leave a lasting impression and make you empowered; this movie did that and more! I higly encourage those to see this movie and be empowered to do wonderful things;

Tyler Perry really did it for me in this movie he shows African American culture at it's finest. He also has some of the best actresses playing in this movie. Add all this with an entertaining funny twist and you will have money well spent. I love the soundtrack as well as the art that is showcased in this movie. My favorite part of the movie is at the family reunion where Cicely Tyson does her thing and SPEAKS to "her family". Well done Tyler keep them coming.WARNING:DO NOT GO TO THIS MOVIE WITHOUT A BOX OF TISSUES BECAUSE YOU WILL BE LAUGHING SO HARD.

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Hats off again to Tyler Perry. This movie was excellent,and definitely a must see!!!

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Pros:

Storyline, cinematography, acting, positive themes, family friendliness

Cons:

Tacky wedding set, sometimes preachy, some content disturbing for kids and victims of abuse

Full Review:

Caution--This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

I first saw this film in the theater in March. I was in the market for a quality show to celebrate Women's History Month and the tail end of "365 Days of African American History." But it was Friday night and I was also in the mood to laugh. So I convinced my date to see "Madea's Family Reunion" rather than the action flick he was lobbying for. We'd both seen the stage version of "Madea's Family Reunion" and all of Tyler Perry's other shows on DVD and knew the film would be fun. But we didn't anticipate the degree to which Mr. Perry and his pistol packin' alter ego, grandma Mabel "Madea" Simmons (one of three characters he plays in the film), would load so many dead-serious and inspirational messages into this scenic gem.

The ethnically diverse audience at the cinema where we saw the film seemed to concur. We all gasped and guffawed, oohed and aahed at the appropriate moments (except one, which I'll address later), and stayed to watch the outtakes and extra treats rolled alongside the credits. Mr. Perry knows his audience...he kept us enraptured, in the palm of his hand, until Madea broke the spell and directed, "You can go home now."

The film's script, music (which writer, producer, actor, director Perry had a hand in), cinematography, casting and wardrobe pleased the senses, with one major exception that profoundly disappointed me. Not everyone seemed to agree; I was surprised (and red faced) to be the only one in the theater to react audibly to the rendering of the "Springtime in Paris" wedding theme pulled together by wedding planner Milay Jenay Lori (played by Jenifer Davis). When I saw it, I couldn't help but blurt out, "That's awful!" Everyone else in the theater was silent. They were probably either wishing I'd pipe down or wondering, as I was, why--given the movie's ample budget, the beauty of some scenes and realistic homeliness of others--the bridal set had to be so goldarn tacky. But that's a minor matter, like a ding in the fender of a top-of-the-line sports car, or the fact that fine-as-wine and manly-but-artistic Frankie (played by Boris Kodjoe) was not as wealthy as the equally fine, "love you to death," Carlos (played by Blair Underwood).

"Madea's Family Reunion" is not just a gem. This blockbuster's also a cash cow. According to Wikipedia, "On opening weekend, February 24, 2006 Mr. Perry's movie version of Madea's Family Reunion opened at number one with $30 million, more than triple the amount it cost to make." Furthermore, as IMDb reports, "After the first week record-breaking release of the first "Madea" film by Perry, Tyler, Lions Gate Home Entertainment acquired a seven-picture deal of the remaining Madea films." In addition to his commercial and critical success, Mr. Perry's website reports that he is currently celebrating being the first playwright of this genre to be sponsored by a major pharmaceutical company, Glaxo Wellcome.

I'm thrilled at Mr. Perry's success. Like single-mother Whoopi and motherless-at-an-early-age Madonna, the N'Awlins native and adult survivor of child abuse has joined the ranks of wildly popular self-made millionaires who have overcome substantial personal tribulations, taken odd jobs to finance their dreams, and even spent time homeless. Mr. Perry began writing stage plays at age 18, and so far has conquered stage and screen. Next on the horizon: his first novel, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Her Earrings Off: Madea's Commentaries on Love and Life. I can't wait to get between those sheets!

Recommended:

Yes

Available Viewing Format:

Theater, DVD,VHS

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I thought that with Tyler Perry would not be able to match "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," but I was wrong!!!! Madea's Family Reunion is actually better. You laugh and you cry: it's a real morality play that's fun to watch.

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Find Me Guilty (2012)

"Find Me Guilty" is a comedic take on what was at the time the longest criminal trial in American history, the 1987-1988 trial of 20 members of the New Jersey Lucchese crime family on 76 charges under the RICO Act. Most of the courtroom testimony is taken from the real trial transcripts. The film focuses on Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio (Vin Diesel), called "Fat Jack" in real life, who, frustrated with his lawyer, insists on representing himself. Jackie is already serving a 30-year prison sentence for narcotics distribution, so the outcome of this trial is somewhat academic to him. Prosecutor Sean Kierney (Linus Roache) offers him a reduction in his current sentence in exchange for testimony at the RICO trial, but Jackie refuses to rat out his friends. Untrained in the law, Jackie's only defense is to make the jury like him more than they like the prosecutors. "A laughing jury is never a hanging jury," says defense attorney Ben Klandis (Peter Dinklage). "I'm not a gangster. I'm a gagster," says Jackie. And he puts on quite a show over the course of the 21-month trial.

"Find Me Guilty" does make light of Jackie's crimes, presenting him as a loyal, affable guy. It could hardly do otherwise, since Jackie made light of them, and he seems to have been a loyal, affable criminal. (Giacomo DiNorscio died while this movie was being filmed.) This obviously isn't a catalog of the Lucchese family's misdeeds. There were some very disreputable people on trial whose victims were not limited to their fellow Mafioso. "Find Me Guilty" is about Jackie's role in this long, remarkable trial. Vin Diesel does the best work of his career thus far. Perhaps due to his laconic, tough-guy image, Diesel can play Jackie's silliness, foolishness, and melodrama without the audience losing sight of his hoodlum toughness. He's a big presence that carries the film through courtroom testimony that might otherwise be tedious. DiNorscio is an interesting character, whose conviction that he must love his mob family, and they must love him, carried him through the trial and many years in prison. "Find Me Guilty"'s comedic approach to courtroom and mafia dramas is new and entertaining.

The DVD (20th Century Fox 2006): "A Conversation with Sidney Lumet" (5 min) is a series of snippets in which director Lumet talks about meeting the real Jackie DiNorscio, Jackie's motives, and authenticity in the film. There is a theatrical trailer (2 ½ min) and 3 television spots for the film (30 sec. each), as well as a trailer for the 1992 movie "My Cousin Vinny" (1 ½ min). Subtitles for the film are available in English and Spanish.

Fans of "The Sopranos", "Goodfellas", Mafia and courtroom flicks will enjoy this fact-based (but probably not completely factual) look at the lengthiest RICO trail in American history starring Vin Diesel and directed by octogenarian Sidney Lumet.

Diesel plays New Jersey mobster Jack DiNorscio defending himself in the longest Mafia trial in U.S. history. Diesel is effective in the role as a disruptive force in judge Ron Silver's court. Alex Rocco, a Mafioso going back to "The Godfather" and through roles he played in TV's "Kojak", is the ring leader in the trial and the main guy the feds are after. Why DiNorscio became the focus of this movie is a question looking for an answer.

In any event, the courtroom "drama" is unlike most of what you see in this kind of movie. Diesel's character is uneducated, has little or no knowledge of courtroom requirements or decorum, and shows these shortcomings regularly through his inappropriate and often unbearable behavior as a litigator.

The other gangsters on trial turn against him after they come to view him as a force out for himself. Prosecutors too see him as a hazard insofar as his comedy act seems to appeal to jurors. True or not, you've probably never seen an attorney ask these kind of questions in court!

Ironically, the film lionizes DiNorscio as a heroic figure that carries out the Mafia credo of not ratting out a brother. Throughout the film he protests his love for his Cosa Nostra brethren, even when they are working against him, and continually states his case against being a rat. This, to me, was the principal theme of the film -that this lowlife gangster was somehow a hero. The outcome of the movie seems also to support that view.

Several bit players from "The Sopranos", including Junior Soprano's lawyer and one of Tony Soprano's dead love interests, fill out the supporting cast in this New York production. This flick is probably at the level of "The Valachi Papers" but with a far different perspective. It has little of the sizzle of "Goodfellas" but is interesting in its courtroom scenes, where much of the script allegedly mimicked the real trial the went on for more than 500 days.

So fans of gangster and courtroom flicks can cast aside any doubt and go for this movie, which is probably the best characterization Vin Diesel has put on so far. He deservedly wasn't nominated for any awards for this but it shows he can do a bit more than simply play Vin Diesel on screen.

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I had the pleasure of watching this film on opening weekend in Times Square in NY. I saw the trailers but wasn't really sure what to expect from Vin Diesel in a very different role. I have to say, that after about 10 minutes, I stopped seeing Vin Diesel in make up and totally bought into his portrayal of "Fat Jack" DiNorscio. There was a good bit of crass gangster humor, but I ate it up in the same way you would a naughty secret. Peter Dinklage was wonderful as a lead attorney (and yes, his height was a non-issue, because he is such a strong actor), Ron Silver's strength and sensitivity as the judge was excellent and Linus Roache as the prosecutor was engaging (I didn't know whether to cheer for or against him and he was the "good guy"). I can't even begin to speak of the supporting actors whose mob idiosyncrisies were wonderfully played. I only wish we could have seen more of Annabella Sciorra and Vin Diesel on screen together. They were powerful and had excellent chemistry. I can't wait for the DVD if only to hope there are deleted scenes of these two! Trust me, they'd be worth the price of the DVD alone.

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Vin Diesel plays Giacomo "Jackie Dee" DiNorscio, who in a strange turn of events defended himself in a Gangland Rico trial, that was the longest trial in US history. You can not tell if he is acting or joking thru is role

Sisney Lumet who directed Network, Dog Day Afternoon, The Verdict and 12 Angry Men seems weak in this drama/comedy. He has made the courtroom seem so close and tight, you feel you need a breath of air every ten minutes.

I will say Lumet stocked the deck with great stock actors like Ron Silver (as a no nonsense, by the book judge), Peter Dinklage (as a defense attorney), Alex Rocco, and (the too short a role that needed to be padded) Annabella Sciorra. I just wish the script and direction was as good as the actors

This drama/comedy is strong of humor and weak on dramatic moments. One of the worst when the Judge tells Jackie he lost his mother is so weak for the acting timbers of Diesel and Silver. Lumet seem to have lacked pacing and direction in this film. This film could have been a great film, but it was not.

I give it 3 stars for the acting, it is worth it for that

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

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Find Me Guilty obviously a vehicle for jumpstarting Vin Diesel's "serious" acting career is such an uneven film, and while it delivers up a few good laughs especially in the first act the film is profoundly short on drama and suspense, and it ultimately sinks under the weight of a leaden stodgy script, an overly long third part and an awkward, stilted performance by Diesel.

Part crime story and part-court room drama, Find Me Guilty is the real life story of New Jersey mobster named Jackie DiNorscio (Diesel) already serving time on a drug conviction, who in 1987 refused to turn state's witness against some 20 of his former associates in the Lucchese crime family.

There was obviously no love lost between Jackie and the Lucchese's, but Jackie consistently proves his loyalty and never turns against them. Fed up with his legal representation DiNorscio also chose to defend himself in what would become, at 21 months, the longest criminal trial in U.S. history.

As much of the action takes place within the courtroom the lawyers and mobsters there's a whole table of defendants all jockeying for position in an overcrowded courtroom with the ecstatically inexperienced Jackie mounting arguments based on wily good humor as he tries to win over the jury with his ribald and off-center jokes.

Directed by Sidney Lumet, Find Me Guilty is more intent to let the dialogue move the story along, using satire to present these beloved mobsters. We all know that these men are a bunch of crooks, intent to scam the system and even commit murder from time to time, but Lumet is more concerned with building their case on an amoral smugness, presenting them as a bunch of big, cuddly family men, who in the end, just want to be respected and loved.

There are some good supporting players here particularly Peter Dinklage who plays an eloquent dwarf attorney and who holds the courtroom rapt with his every utterance. And Annabella Sciorra shows up in a quick, charged turn as Jackie's former wife. The obnoxious lead government prosecutor played by Linus Roache injects some much-needed life into the proceedings, especially later on.

Ironically, the prosecutor is more insufferable and loathsome many of the mobsters. I guess that's why the jury reached the verdict they did and it also shows that the government can be just as ruthless as the people they attempt to bring to justice.

I feel a little sorry for poor Vin, he's obviously a competent actor, but in this case an overly talky script hampers him and unfortunately he has a voice that rarely rises about the monotone. He looks good with his hairpiece and you really believe he could be a mobster and there's a priceless scene involving some flatulence and car windows but the courtroom scenes prove that the role may have been just a little bit beyond him.

The script also leaves some important questions unanswered, such as the jury's verdict, and the movie always appear to be true even although much of the courtroom dialogue was taken from trial transcripts, but this doesn't mean the movie always rings true.

There are some fun moments after a heart attack, one gangster attends the rest of the trial in a hospital bed and there's lots of irreverent profanity thrown every which way, but the film, which clocks in at just over two hours comes across as overlong and stodgy a little bit like the trial itself and in the end, you really have to wonder whether these guys were as funny as the move makes them out to be. Mike Leonard June 06.

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The Big Hit (1998)

I've trashed more than my fair share of big, brainless action flicks for being stupid, unbelievable, and nasty. But for some reason, either by merit of the film itself or some fluke in my taste, I like THE BIG HIT. If the former is true, here is why.

There are those of us who peruse the direct-to-video bins of action and horror movies in a desparate search of fun. THE BIG HIT, although released theatrically, is everything that you desire while looking at direct-to-video crap, but never get, and its infinitly better.

Make no mistakes: this movie is vulgar, crass, and shameless. It even crossed my line with the vomiting scene, but I managed. The film finds hit man Melvin Smiley set up to take the fall for a major screw-up by his hipster co-workers whilst dealing with being a pushover to his fiancee and girlfriend.

Maybe the fact that this film has such a plot, a plot that is relevant to the action and interesting is what makes it exciting. The characters are stimulating and provided vibrant dialogue. Through the pretty routine directing, it's Ben Ramseys script that makes the thing so fun. The action sequences are pretty by the numbers, as I've mentioned, but there are moments or rhythm and sublime carnage beneath the rest of it.

The film has a hard-hitting and pulsating score by Graeme Revell, which is also notable in its genre for its themes and concentration on doing more than making noise.

Be warned: those who do not tolerate profanity, violence, and general disregard for morals (these are hit men, after all) should not view. If you do not fall into that category, and like a bit of ultra-violence brimming with wit and style, there is a very good chance you will like this movie, and almost NO chance that you will regret seeing it.

Or like I said, it might have just been a fluke in my tastes...

I remember first seeing the previews for The Big Hit and thinking to myself, "this is going to be one terrible film." Then I actually rented it, and found myself enjoying the movie immensely. Oh, it's one silly action film, but it's fun usually for all the right reasons, so that's why I'm recommending it. And this says a lot, believe me, because I find 3/4's of the movie's cast utterly revolting (Antonio Sabato, Jr., Christina Applegate, Bokeem Woodbine, Lela Rochon, and Elliot Gould all in the same movie, and I still somehow enjoyed it).

Mark Wahlberg stars as Melvin Smiley, a hitman with a heart of gold, sort of. Outside of his dubious career, he's a relatively nice guy with an airhead fiancee (Applegate). Anyway, his hitman buddies, specifically Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), devise a plan to kidnap Keiko Nishi (China Chow), the daughter of a super-rich Japanese businessman, not knowing the man has just went bankrupt (shown in a hilarious scene). Anyway, they have to store Keiko at Melvin's house, and he's forgotten that his fiancee and her parents are visiting for the weekend. To make matters worse, Keiko is the goddaughter of the hitmen's boss, Paris (Avery Brooks), who's looking to crack down on the guys who kidnapped her.

The Big Hit desires to work as an action and comedy, and succeeds quite well at both. The shootouts are pure Hong Kong-style (no surprise, it's directed by Kirk Wong), outrageous but cool to watch. The fight scenes are kinetic and well-choreographed, with the performers displaying some nice, agile moves without really going into all-out martial arts (by this, I'm referring to the final fight in the video store). None of the action is superspectacular or completely memorable, but it's all exciting and lots of fun, which is what it should be.

Director Kirk Wong also shows a capbable hand at humor. For once, the majority of the film's jokes actually work. Even a long-running gag involving Melvin and his overdue rental of King Kong Lives pays off in the end. A lot of people are going to find this humor stupid, but for me, it was stupid and funny. Some of these jokes probably wouldn't naturally be funny, but the cast (particularly Lou Diamond Phillips) pulls them off with a great sense of comic timing. Hell, I even laughed during that obvious "tracebuster" joke.

As I said before, most of the cast members are those I generally try to avoid when I watch movies and they're terrible here, but they're offset by the film's leads, thankfully. Mark Wahlberg is not a great actor by any stretch of the imagination, but he's likeable and perfect for this part. The lovely China Chow is a spirited foil for Wahlberg, she's smart, funny, and sassy, and also the film's most genuinely likeable character. Naturally, the film progresses by developing some romantic chemistry between her and Wahlberg, and to my surprise, those scenes actually work.

Stealing virtually the whole film is Lou Diamond Phillips (who I've always liked), who's hilarious as the two-timing hitman Cisco. Off the top of my head, I believe this is his only comic performance to date, and he's so good at it, I wish he'd delve into the genre more often. The always solid Avery Brooks has a few throwaway scenes, but it's always nice to see him in a role outside of Deep Space Nine. All in all, The Big Hit was a good time, never truly excellent as an action/comedy (it needs more even plotting and less superfluous characters) but just enjoyable enough, and that was good enough for me.

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I wasn't going to add a review to this site, but after seeing all the negative reviews I had to. This is one of my favourite films, because it's enjoyable. Sure, there are funnier movies, movies with more action, better acting, a better plot and all the other things that people like. But this film is good at what it does, and that is bringing everything together. Rather than being the best film at one of these categories, it is good at all of them. And it's FUN!! Lou Diamond Phillips kicks arse in this movie... and there are some killer lines in there too ("Bust some caps?!? Give this man a gold star!!"). The soundtrack works well, the camera work is top notch, and all around this is very well produced. It seems there are a lot of people out there that think a film can only be good if it has a message, or Harrison Ford. Well here's an ideaget out there and make a movie yourself... let's see what kind of message you can offer the world. In the meantime, respect this film for what it isextreme entertainment. And for that guy who said that all the people that hate this film are from Australia, I'm an Aussie.

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I love this movie! Its definitely one of my favorites, and I have the tendency to watch it twice in a row! Mark Wahlberg is such a hot, sweet lil badboy and with that innocent soft voice and smile he always gives me the tingles. Love the action scenes and the sense of humor is so cheesy its just hilarious. The romantic scenes with Mark and his many girls keep me coming back for more and more. For the girls, there is a great locker room scene with the guys' naked butts---yummy!

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This is again one of those movies you must not take too seriously. If you do, you will be spending that 100 or so minutes sitting and wondering why are you watching this...

Plot in a sentence: four contract killers go moonlightning and accidentally kidnap their boss' god-daughter and mayhem follows...

Don't miss this gem! There are so many in-movie jokes, parodical remarks, sexy booty and great-off-the-wall action you have to see it twice to catch them all...

Favourite line: "You can't handle the truth!" (not a mistake!)

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